Woman Says Calvin Klein Ad Promotes Unhealthy Living — the Plus-Size Model Claps Back

Breakout rapper Chika is 22 years old. She's from Alabama. And she's already signed a deal with Warner Records and modeled for Calvin Klein. Objectively, this girl is killing it. She's gorgeous, stylish, and her career is soaring. 

Unfortunately, the more famous you are, the more you have to deal with negative people and unfounded criticism. And that's exactly what happened recently to Chika, who was just featured in a badass billboard ad for Calvin Klein. 

This billboard is incredible for several reasons. It celebrates women of color. It features a non-straight-size woman. And did I mention Chika is 22 years old and already modeling for Calvin Klein?! But some ill-informed naysayers criticized the ad because they believe it promoted "unhealthy living."

Dominique went on to write, "I've got no problem with avg curvy bodies being represented in fashion. The avg size of a woman is around 14-16. This isn't that. It's not representing women. It's participating in this dumb woke culture that needs to die out fast."

Clearly, this woman is not aware just how representative this picture is of women. Chika is gorgeous. Chika is real! And it's 2019. If you still think fat equals bad health, I can't help you. You are so incredibly misinformed if that is what you believe. It's just not true that being fat automatically deems you unhealthy.

The unwarranted and ill-informed criticism kept coming, often from fellow black women. One Twitter user, Esther K, wrote, "Whoops. Forgot to celebrate the ad showing an obese woman (who will likely suffer a plethora of health issues due to her size)...because she's black."

Since when is someone's size or even health status a marker of their worth as a human being? This reaction is absolutely insane. Every woman, no matter what size, deserves to be celebrated and lifted up. A person's size or level of health should not determine how much respect they deserve. Bodies should warrant no judgment. The end. Period. 

Luckily, Chika is strong as it gets and had some choice words of her own for these women. 

"I shouldn't have to defend my existence," she wrote on Twitter. "No one should. Especially simply based on size. It's so barbaric and laughable that when I see people *attempt* to make an example of me, I only pity them and the people cursed to share the same oxygen as them."

Heck yes. I am so glad she knows how wildly misinformed and harmful these women's views are. I am so glad she is able to stand tall and shake them off. Words like theirs have the capacity to do so much harm. But at the wise old age of 22, Chika already knows her worth. 

It's 2019. We need to — once and for all — give up the false notion that someone's size determines their worth. It's backward thinking. It's harmful thinking. And it's just simply completely untrue. Chika knows this. You and I know this. It's time everyone else learns this too. 

Chika wasn't going to go quietly and not say her piece, and I applaud her for that. She looks amazing in that ad! She should be proud of it. On Twitter, she blasted out one last message of resilience to her haters: "I work hard, I provide for my family, I am talented as f***, and I am loved by close friends and strangers alike. All I do is chill and walk in my purpose and it's enough to make you b****es mad. Stay mad. In fact, choke. We don't need you here."